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  1. #1
    Player
    vanityobscene's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Gridania
    Posts
    116
    Character
    Williem Roosecote
    World
    Tonberry
    Main Class
    Arcanist Lv 50

    Tanking, need some advice?

    I play a lvl 20 GLD, this is my first real try with an MMORPG.

    I play with my partner who is a healer, and we communicate well about what's going on through dungeons.

    The problem for me, however, is that I'm easily overwhelmed by mobs, by the speed that the DPS jump in (which often leaves me without enough aggro to hold them on me), and then the difficulties switching between targets to rebuild that aggro.

    Does anyone have and advice for:

    - Getting over the DPS rushing ahead
    - Getting more self-assured
    - Building enmity as quickly as possible
    - Good low-mid-level combo strategies
    - Methods for marking (who first, etc)

    Also, am I right to always favour protecting the healer? At the point that my effort to hold a mob is shaken I always default to protecting the healer, and let the DPS have their way with the stragglers they've aggrod in spite of my effort.

    Is it also normal to have to fight tooth and nail to keep aggro off of DPS?
    (0)

  2. #2
    Player
    Thaliss's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Limsa
    Posts
    577
    Character
    Andros Dyrstwyrn
    World
    Cerberus
    Main Class
    Arcanist Lv 50
    Hi and welcome

    - Rushing DPS : let them die, it's the only way
    - Getting more self assured : just communicate, tell what you know and don't know. People will help you out.
    - Building enmity, well you are only lvl 20 so you lack all the tools. Higher level player will give you combos but still it s a combination of single target combos and flash at your level

    As for marking, go for casters and healers mobs first or to mobs with very dangerous skills. Doing content you will recognize them

    Save the cheerhealer save the world, be a heroe!
    It's team work, ask healer to go to you if they get aggro, but managing aggro is everybody's job.
    Some fights you can let dps have their way, others you have to save them too.

    Until Brayflox (lvl 32) it will be rather simple.
    (3)

  3. #3
    Player
    JeniLinsky's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Gridania
    Posts
    561
    Character
    C'mell Cordwainer
    World
    Goblin
    Main Class
    Gladiator Lv 80
    Also, there's some good reading in this thread and this one
    (3)

  4. #4
    Player
    vanityobscene's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Gridania
    Posts
    116
    Character
    Williem Roosecote
    World
    Tonberry
    Main Class
    Arcanist Lv 50
    Quote Originally Posted by JeniLinsky View Post
    Also, there's some good reading in this thread and this one
    The first thread link is so informative! Already some things are becoming clear, thanks for this useful set of tips!

    I knew that fast blade didn't aggro, and that was a headache for me due to GCD. The time it took to set up the savage blade combo was grueling, and I lost time on getting enmity because of it. I didn't realise that cutting straight to Savage Blade or RoH (when I get it) would still build enmity (albeit with less damage).
    (1)

  5. #5
    Player
    JeniLinsky's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Gridania
    Posts
    561
    Character
    C'mell Cordwainer
    World
    Goblin
    Main Class
    Gladiator Lv 80
    Start with shield lob as you're moving toward the mobs. After you've moved into the scrum, flash twice. (With flash, two is one; one is none). Then do a fast blade -> savage blade combo, flash again, and finish the rotation with fast blade -> riot blade combo. Lather, rinse, repeat.

    And yes... prioritize protecting your healer over protecting your DPS, if you can't do both.
    (3)

  6. #6
    Player
    valho's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Gridania
    Posts
    361
    Character
    Vita Rena
    World
    Tonberry
    Main Class
    Monk Lv 70
    DPS rush, let them tank it, some simply doesn't learn until you let them tank it and die, or just tell them not to run ahead.
    Practice and know your skills, having good knowledge of the dungeon helps like best way to pull, to avoid patrol, etc
    Know your combo, at level 20 it's not much
    I usually mark the mob that hurt most, range mob is a pain since you can't really pull them to you, so what you do is you can pull melee mob to the range, just don't accidentally agro on patrol.

    Healer comes first, DPS let them take care of themselves. If the DPS is geared and level sync yes you might have some problem holding agro, not always but it happens. If DPS starts pew pew pew right as you shield lob before even having the chance to do your combo, it's the DPS fault.
    (3)

  7. #7
    Player

    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    64
    At level 20 I found it a bit painful to hold aggro against sync dpses ^^ It will however become easier at level 26.
    Protecting healer is the first priority if he is not only casting medica all the time (which generates such threat that idk what should be done at level 20 to hold mob off that kind of healer).
    Do not worry about dpses who hit the wrong target - either switch to that target or let them tank it if they cannot follow markings. It is a good idea as glad/pld to mark enemies (at least have 1 marking on your bar and switch it to next mob when first mob is at 10% health). Be careful about sleeping - just use flash on those targets.
    I usually mark "annoying targets" like mobs who do frontal cones, do a lot of damage, doesn't have too much health, do aoe or is ranged. After doing dungeon a few times, you will feel those potential targets also
    Also - you may find useful to switch between targets after you have built enough aggro on one. That will help you see which mobs are about to be pulled (by healer most usually) and I tend to put savage blade on such mob (usually lowers healer enmity about for a half).

    And most importantly: try to relax and enjoy the game

    Edit: Do not try to stun bosses too much - they build up resistance to it
    (2)
    Last edited by Meenesfeja; 04-16-2014 at 05:37 PM. Reason: Too long post ofc... :(

  8. #8
    Player
    vanityobscene's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Gridania
    Posts
    116
    Character
    Williem Roosecote
    World
    Tonberry
    Main Class
    Arcanist Lv 50
    Thanks Meenesfeja! The healer I play with uses Physik (sp?), not medica, at this time, so it's safe there.

    I'm lucky to have my healer in the same room as me when we play together, haha. She alerts me *before* I lose aggro that I'm losing aggro, which gives me the impetus in time to switch targets in her defense. I lose aggro most often to DPS. If I lose it to the healer I can get it back quickly and easily. It's nearly always the DPS that strip it back, and it's usually because I haven't had the chance to build enough aggro. Or, actually, from what I've now read above, it's probably more that I haven't built enough enmity quickly enough because of unnecessary time delays due to combo-ing from the get-go (Shield Lob > Flash x2 > Combos as opposed to going straight to savage blade straight away.)
    (1)

  9. #9
    Player

    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    64
    Quote Originally Posted by vanityobscene View Post
    Thanks Meenesfeja! The healer I play with uses Physik (sp?), not medica, at this time, so it's safe there.
    Speaking about Scholar, it is usually fairy (Eos or Selene) that pulls aggro. Whitemages are more aggro building healers, specially when they cast aoe heals. (Here you can ask your healer-friend to explain differences between both healer classes - she should know ^^)

    Quote Originally Posted by vanityobscene View Post
    I'm lucky to have my healer in the same room as me when we play together, haha. She alerts me *before* I lose aggro that I'm losing aggro, which gives me the impetus in time to switch targets in her defense.
    Yeah, I know the situation. I was playing as dps while my bf was tanking. As I was always in healer range, I told him when some mobs run astray
    Generally it helps but you still should try to build aggro properly in order not to loose aggro on healer at all (in end game fights it could sometimes be deadly issue that healer pulls mob off tank).
    (2)
    Last edited by Meenesfeja; 04-16-2014 at 05:55 PM. Reason: too long post... again...

  10. #10
    Player
    vanityobscene's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Gridania
    Posts
    116
    Character
    Williem Roosecote
    World
    Tonberry
    Main Class
    Arcanist Lv 50
    Quote Originally Posted by Meenesfeja View Post
    Yeah, I know the situation. I was playing as dps while my bf was tanking. As I was always in healer range, I told him when some mobs run astray Generally it helps but you still should try to build aggro properly in order not to loose aggro on healer at all (in end game fights it could sometimes be deadly issue that healer pulls mob off tank).
    I'll definitely be practicing some of these strategies and employ the advice I've gotten to become an independent and effective tank. I guess starting out it's a bit like trying to see the forest through the trees. I understood what being a tank meant, but the mechanics and the combat have layers that I have to really get down to be a good tank.

    And that's exactly what I want. Committed myself to it wholeheartedly.
    (3)

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